30 Days of Corset Wearing: Week 1

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Over the next 30 days, I'll be trying out the Brocade Underbust corset from Hourglass Angel. I've never done any serious waist training, wearing a corset all day, every day. Due to my lifestyle, I don't think I'll do anything that extreme this time around. I'll be wearing it throughout the morning and afternoon, while I do my housework and hobbies and following a smart diet and exercise plan. Let's see how it goes over the next several weeks!

I've chosen the Brocade Underbust corset , which laces up the back with steel boning throughout, which I can wear over or under most things. Since I have a short waist, I thought the 10 1/2 inch length of this one would be good to try, nothing pinching or riding up. I like an underbust corset too, so I can wear any bra I like and the center front is gently curved at the bottom, not pointed, which is important for me for sitting comfort.

For the first week, I've been seasoning (or breaking in) my corset. I added new laces to mine. This corset comes with one lace, so you can have it tie at either the top or the bottom. I like it to tie in the middle, so I added a second lace. Seasoning a corset is so important to get yourself used to wearing it and get the corset to shape to your body over time without damaging it or hurting yourself. I've been wearing mine around the house for short periods of time, laced snug but not tight. While seasoning your corset, you should be able to fit a few fingers between yourself and the corset.

This corset is a good starting point for casual corset wearers or for costume. It has 12 flat steel bones and cotton twill lining. The brocade fabric is pretty enough to wear on the outside of your clothes. I also wanted to talk a little bit about flat steel vs spiral steel and how it changes the way the corset fits and shapes your body. There's a really fantastic article at Foundations Revealed with a comparison of the two on different body types, so you should definitely check that out when considering which type of steel would be a better fit for you.

I thought you all might enjoy this fun video from British Pathe about corsets and padding used to create the Dior New Look in the late 1940s. Check out that gal's corseted waist!

Stay tuned next week for an update on week two of 30 days of corset wearing for some before and after pics and we'll talk about eating, moving, sitting and going about your day in a corset.

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14 Responses to “30 Days of Corset Wearing: Week 1”

This is a really interesting and fun experiment, which I've been thinking of doing myself, since I already own several very expensive corsets, but hardly ever use them. I will stay tuned for the next update. Have fun while looking great as always, dear. :)

Hahaha! I erased three times that you will get negative comments, but I, thought, "No, people wouldn't do that here"! When I was considering getting a corset, I researched gobs, hours, days worth of information, both pros and cons. I saw that the con information was based on hearsay, old drawn pictures from the 1800s, and old wives tales. Dr. Oz even tried to claim wearing corsets was unsafe, but his methods were easily disproved. As with ALL things in life, moderation, and listen to your body.

I do have their beige mesh, pink satin, and black cotton, all C411s. I also changed out the laces to the satin ones. I have gotten very lazy about wearing them because of the heat here in CA Sierra Mountains. I haven't conditioned the pink one yet. I like how they feel, like a hug!

I love your blog so much. It makes me sad that my first comment will be a negative one! Have you researched that negative effect and even dangers of wearing a corset? Some doctors are saying that even Spanx can be damaging to tour health. I hope you look into this further before you do it.

I have! I've researched corsets for longer than I've been blogging. I've sewn several historical corsets and I have a lot of friends who wear them regularly. Corsets are not dangerous if you know how to wear them and if you wear them the right way. As I mentioned in the post, I'm wearing mine for maybe 2 hours per day while I do my daily chores. Not wearing it to bed, not exercising in it, just wearing it around the house or maybe when I go out. I don't plan on cinching down to an 18 inch waist or anything like that, it's not my cup of tea. High heels are incredibly dangerous too. You can fall and break a bone and over time, they cause plantar fascitis, which my mom suffers from. But I don't go running in heels, I don't wear them in the shower, I don't wear fetish heels like Bettie Page so I'll probably be okay. Same goes with Spanx. Any tight undergarment can cause yeast infections (pantyhose!) but you take them off when you get home, you wear clean underwear, you're smart about it! Like the other commenter said, you have to listen to your body. If you're uncomfortable at any time while wearing a corset, it's time to take it off. If it causes pain, it's time to stop wearing it and figure out what you're doing wrong! There's a really great article on the Orchard Corset blog with some wonderful links about corset benefits and discussing the media's ideas that corsets are dangerous and I think they're definitely worth a read! http://orchardcorsetblog.com/2015/07/14/corset-qa-episode-43-are-corseting-and-waist-training-dangerous/

I was a professional ballet dancer and some of our costumes had a corset-like bodice with boning - the works! At first I hated it so much, I couldn't wait to get it off. It felt like a creepy shell. But I got used to them and began to like the feeling! It also reminds you to maintain good posture with the upper back and shoulders and doesn't let you lift heavy things improperly. So you feel more elegant (except for the lifting heavy things part). Just as long as you can breathe unhindered. We always had plenty of room to expand our ribgaces fully and let the abdomen move for breathing. The first thing we were asked to do in fitting them was to jump or run around and make sure we could exert ourselves without dropping from asphyxia.I never had 12 pieces of boning, though! Looking forward to hearing how it goes. Always enjoying your blog.

I've just got my first 2 corsets from Orchard Corsets and I LOVE them. I got the black mesh wespie one and it is so incredibly comfortable. It's a bit shorter than I ideally want to give me back support so I got another one in black cotton. It is awesome for the back support that I so desperately need. Both are fabulous for different reasons and I can't wait to have them both fully seasoned so I can wear them even more often. I look forward to seeing your reviews and progress.

Enjoy your corset! I love mine from Orchard. I don't tightlace but can get an impressive reduction because I'm a bit squishy. I've noticed my back is much more comfortable after wearing a corset, and I believe it's the improvement in posture. Health wise - my doctors have seen me wearing corsets and don't mind. I have severe osteoarthritis in my spine, so they could easily complain. I don't wear heels, which are a bigger hazard to me.